Shaheen, Hassan Urge President to Prioritize Rural Broadband in Infrastructure Proposal

(Washington, DC) –  As the administration prepares a broad infrastructure plan and approximately 23 million Americans living in rural areas still lack access to high-speed broadband, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined their Senate colleagues in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to include funding to support broadband deployment in unserved rural areas across the country.

“In an increasingly interconnected world and global economy, we must include in our discussion of infrastructure not just roads, bridges and waterways, but also high-speed internet access. While the vast majority of Americans have access to high-speed internet service, there is a stark disparity between urban and rural America,” wrote the senators. “This digital divide puts many rural Americans at risk of being left out of critical technological advancements and economic gains. The longer we delay investing in quality telecommunications for rural residents, the more challenging it will become to bridge the digital divide. As you finalize your proposal to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, we urge you to include at least $40 billion in funding for broadband deployment to help reach unserved Americans in rural and remote areas.”

Senators Shaheen and Hassan have both fought tirelessly to expand high-speed mobile access to rural areas in New Hampshire and across the nation. Last year, the senators sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and the FCC Commissioners asking the FCC to renew its commitment to the Mobility Fund, which is a key rural broadband funding source. Shaheen and Hassan have also both repeatedly expressed concern that repealing net neutrality rules will eliminate equal access to an open and free internet and harm rural communities, small businesses and consumers.

The full text of the letter appears below and can also be read here:

Dear President Trump:

As we enter 2018, there is broad agreement that investments in infrastructure are a critical component of strengthening our economy and promoting growth. Accordingly, we await the opportunity to review the Administration’s infrastructure plan and remain hopeful that there is common ground for us to work together to improve our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

In an increasingly interconnected world and global economy, we must include in our discussion of infrastructure not just roads, bridges and waterways, but also high-speed internet access. While the vast majority of Americans have access to high-speed internet service, there is a stark disparity between urban and rural America. This digital divide puts many rural Americans at risk of being left out of critical technological advancements and economic gains. The longer we delay investing in quality telecommunications for rural residents, the more challenging it will become to bridge the digital divide. As you finalize your proposal to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, we urge you to include at least $40 billion in funding for broadband deployment to help reach unserved Americans in rural and remote areas.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2016 Broadband Progress Report, 10 percent of Americans lack access to high-speed internet in their homes. While that figure has been improving over time, it obscures a troubling statistic: the profound gap in access between Americans who live in rural and urban areas. While only 4 percent of urban Americans lack access to fixed broadband, 39 percent of Americans who live in rural areas—23 million people—lack access to high-speed broadband. For Americans living on rural tribal lands, the statistics are even bleaker, with 68 percent of people lacking access to broadband. If we intend to ensure that all Americans have access to broadband, we must make rural communities a priority for high-speed internet access.

The United States has always been at the forefront of technological innovation and the digital economy. But when almost 40 percent of our rural citizens lack broadband access and children grow up in households without access to the internet, we jeopardize the ability of our citizens to meaningfully participate in the civic and economic life of our country. As a nation we have long understood the importance of promoting access to advanced technologies, from electricity to telephone service to broadband, and we have long recognized the role that government plays in supporting the deployment of those critical services. We must continue working to ensure that no American is left without access to technology that has become integral to daily life.

As you prepare your infrastructure plan, we urge you to include funding to support broadband deployment to connect families, facilities and businesses in unserved rural areas across the country. We look forward to working with you to promote investments in quality telecommunications infrastructure for rural America.

Sincerely,